Ears Wide Open: Mind the Gap

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Acoustic pop and soft electronica go hand-in-hand these days, and if there’s a new L.A. band who has embraced this concept, it’s Mind the Gap. The duo that formerly went by Cahn & Yang (and the Driving Force before that) expanded to a quartet once founders Greg Cahn and Alex Yang moved from the Midwest to the West Coast and met up with producers Ruwanga Samath and Oscar Doniz. Their new collaborators had a resume that included producing songs for big names such as Britney Spears, Beyoncé and Norah Jones, so it figured strong pop melodies would be their calling card. Mind the Gap’s latest album, “The Good Fight,” plays around with classic song structure but also sparkles in a different light via modern influences. Thus, a diverse sound palette can be heard; the group can entertain an energized crowd at Lightning in a Bottle, but they’re also capable of writing mellow tunes such as “Meant To Be.” Go from club-thumping beats to slower pop tunes about a forlorn lover? Mind the Gap doesn’t find changing aesthetics much of a challenge.